Questions remain about why work seemingly slowed down towards the end of the contract, and how much profit was made over the 25 years.

That question is harder to answer than it may seem because of complex company structures.

TSSL was in a group of companies that ultimately belongs to Innisfree, one of the largest infrastructure investment companies in the UK with a big share of PFI projects, which has included 260 schools.

The founder and chief executive of Innisfree, David Metter, has been a staunch advocate of the value for public money in PFI contracts, telling MPs in 2011 that, overall, “UK plc is getting an excellent deal”.

BBC analysis of public accounts suggests Metter, or companies owned and controlled by him or his family, appear to have made at least £130m in dividends from PFI investments in schools, hospitals and other infrastructure projects. It’s not possible to say how much came from the Stoke-on-Trent contract.

The BBC first wrote to Metter and his company Innisfree Ltd in December, and made a number of attempts to contact him.

The BBC understands Innisfree was asked if it would put money back into the Stoke-on-Trent PFI company, TSSL, having drawn significant dividends out over the years, and the company declined.

A spokesperson for Innisfree said: “We have no comment other than to say that on Stoke schools these matters are subject to commercial contract.”

The directors of the now liquidated TSSL, based at Innisfree, have not replied to the concerns raised by our investigation.

When approached by the BBC in February 2025, TSSL said it was “unaware of widespread issues with quality” and considered that schools had been “maintained in accordance with the contract”.

Subcontractor Equans said it had “focused on fulfilling our role with a consistently high standard of service” throughout the contract, adding that it “conducted a responsible and well-managed close of our contracted works”.

Concerns about the end of these PFI contacts have been longstanding.

In 2021, the public accounts committee of MPs said academy schools, responsible for their own buildings, might be left having to fund outstanding repairs.

PFI investors, they added, could pay higher dividends and “walk away with limited threat of recourse”.

Additional reporting by Ben King